During our first week back at school we spent a lot of time discussing expectations - particularly around attitude and behavior - and what attributes are necessary for a successful team.
I was able to share my greatest expectation of the students in Room 4, which is that WE work as a team - students and teachers alike - to achieve success for EVERYONE.
The students also had an opportunity to share their expectations of me, all of which - to my surprise - were very reasonable and sensible. One of their requests was that I find them a group of students from another country with whom they could begin a pen-pal correspondence. I have to say I was delighted with this request as it demonstrates their ability to take control of their learning and steer it in new and innovative directions.
Fortunately I discovered the ePals Global Community - a must for teachers looking for a way to build connections with other schools, cultures, and classrooms. http://www.epals.com/
In less than 24 hours of creating a Tinui School profile and submitting it to the site we had received a request to correspond and collaborate with a group of Russian students who are learning English as a second language. The students are based in St. Petersburg, Russia - an absolutely stunning city - and are currently working on their introductory emails to the Room 4 students.
This opportunity to collaborate with our Russian friends affords the children an authentic context in which to develop their reading and writing skills. We are all looking forward to this next exciting chapter in our literacy learning!
